Egypt’s media regulatory agency announced in a statement that it will force streaming companies to follow specific rules in order to conform to “societal norms and traditions.”
What’s happening
The Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR) said that Netflix, Disney+, and other streaming companies would be required to apply for licenses in order to operate in the country.
Similar statements have been made by media organizations in Gulf countries demanding Netflix to remove content that they believe contradicts Islamic values and practices.
The announcement comes a day after Gulf Arab countries ordered Netflix to remove “offensive content” from its streaming service, ostensibly referring to the LGBTQ community.
Moving forward
According to the Egyptian government, streaming services must adhere to the “societal norms and values of the country” into which they are streaming. The statement urged them to take “appropriate measures if they air content that contradicts societal standards.”
SCMR stated that “necessary steps” would be taken against platforms that stream content that does not line with society’s values.
It was also noticed that subscriptions to streaming platforms in Egypt had increased massively, but there is no exact data.